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Joseph Sipalan

Former Malaysian prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob met anti-graft officials on Thursday, after multiple delays in a multimillion-dollar corruption investigation that has outraged residents worn down by the cascade of such allegations involving senior politicians.
Ismail Sabri is the latest former leader to be hauled up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which has gone after prominent politicians and tycoons since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim came to power in 2022.
The country’s shortest-serving prime minister at 15 months, Ismail Sabri was last week named a suspect by the MACC in a money-laundering investigation after stacks of plastic-wrapped cash, gold bars and luxury goods worth 170 million ringgit (US$38.6 million) were seized from safe houses allegedly linked to his aides.
The seizures, which included millions worth of euros, yen and dollars, 16 gold bars worth an estimated 7 million ringgit and a cache of Hublot watches, followed the arrest of four of his aides on February 28.
At least 36 people have been questioned so far in relation to the case, with local media reporting that over a dozen bank accounts have also been frozen.

The former prime minister, 65, who served for decades as a second-line leader in former ruling party Umno before rising to power, had twice delayed reporting to the MACC headquarters in the administrative capital of Putrajaya, citing health issues.
He waved to waiting reporters from his car on Thursday as he was driven into and out of the building.
“I have presented myself at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters to give my statement. I will continue to cooperate with the authorities until the investigations are completed,” he said in a statement later.
Ismail Sabri was previously investigated in December over a 700 million ringgit (US$159 million) government publicity project for his “Malaysian Family” campaign.
It is not clear if the two cases are linked.
The latest graft probe implicating a former leader would only add to the already poor reputation that Malaysia’s political elite had with the public, analyst Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani said.
The growing distrust of politicians is expected to deepen
Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, analyst at ADA Southeast Asia
“The growing distrust of politicians is expected to deepen,” Asrul, a partner at strategic advisory firm ADA Southeast Asia, said.
“This may ultimately benefit the prime minister with his promises of reform and anti-corruption measures,” he added, referring to Anwar.
Ismail Sabri’s case also feeds into the long-held perception that illicit money deals and political power go hand in hand in Malaysia, according to political analyst James Chin.
“I think anybody who knows anything about Malaysian politics would agree that money is one of the common currencies at the very top,” Chin, a professor of Asian studies at the University of Tasmania, said.
Ismail Sabri rose to prominence in 2021 after he was named prime minister by then king Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, replacing Muhyiddin Yassin, who stepped down after 17 months in power and at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He was largely seen as a harmless – if not ineffectual – leader, but the corruption scandal engulfing him and his top lieutenants has rapidly soured public opinion of his tenure.
“He talked so much about wanting to help the people get through Covid when he was in power. Now all this comes up. Who exactly was he helping?” e-hailing delivery rider Mazlan Abdul Halim, 22, said.
The fact that Ismail Sabri was the third former prime minister to face corruption investigations was even more reason for the public not to trust politicians, taxi driver Abdul Ramli Abdul Rauf said.
Malaysian authorities have already indicted two former prime ministers for corruption, including jailed ex-leader Najib Razak and Muhyiddin.
“They just take all the money and expect us to be grateful for their handouts at every budget. God will judge them,” Abdul Ramli said.

Even Umno, of which Ismail Sabri is a member, appear to have distanced themselves from his case, saying last Thursday that the party “has no connection whatsoever” with the money and items seized by the MACC.
“Umno will not think twice to take legal action against any party that deliberately links, accuses or creates the perception that the party is linked to the case currently under investigation,” Umno secretary general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said in a statement.
Prime Minister Anwar launched a crackdown on corruption in 2023, promising to bring to book anyone found to have abused their position and power to enrich themselves.
He has repeatedly denied accusations of using his office to attack his detractors and settle old scores, including with his former mentor and two-time prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Mahathir had last year claimed that Anwar had launched a political vendetta against his rivals after his close associates and family members were implicated in corruption investigations.


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Former Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri finally meets anti-corruption officials

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Former Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri finally meets anti-corruption officials

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}He had twice delayed reporting to Putrajaya authorities, citing health issues

He had twice delayed reporting to Putrajaya authorities, citing health issues